Millions celebrate gay pride in Brazil (Agencies) Updated: 2005-05-30 18:26
Almost 2 million gay men, lesbians, transvestites and their supporters — many
in lavish Carnival costumes and waving rainbow-colored flags — paraded in
Brazil's biggest city on Sunday to celebrate gay pride and call for the
legalization of civil unions between homosexuals.
More than 20 sound trucks blasting music, and carrying go-go boys and drag
queens, rolled down the skyscraper-lined Avenida Paulista for the Ninth Annual
Sao Paulo Gay Parade — a parade that organizers said was one of the world's
largest gay pride events ever.
Police and organizers said almost 2 million people, including 700,000 tourist
from other cities and countries, attended. Last year, police said that about 1.5
million people participated.
In comparison, San Francisco's gay pride parade typically attracts tens of
thousands of people and last year's world gay pride day celebrations in Berlin
attracted between 200,000 and 500,000 participants.
"With these many people showing up, the parade is major step to strike
people's prejudice against gays everywhere," said Pedro Almeida, a spokesman
with the Brazilian Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans-gender Pride Parade
Association.
"What a great way to increase visibility for gays across the country," said
22-year-old Joao Paulo da Silva, who was parading with a large feathered
ornament around his neck.
The parade's main theme was the legalization of civil unions in the South
American country of 182 million. Civil unions between same-sex couples are
permitted only in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Sao Paulo Mayor Jose Serra and former mayor Marta Suplicy — an avid supporter
of gay rights — spoke to the crowd in between live concerts with some of
Brazil's most popular singers.
The parade was part of several other gay pride events that will take place
throughout Brazil in June.
Brazil is the largest Roman Catholic nation in the world, and the Catholic
Church has steadfastly opposed allowing gays to marry.
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